This Power Pop Metal band from Sweden will win your heart (and steal your soul).

The Swedish band Ghost performed in Berlin yesterday. Performed superbly. What a performance it was! The venue „Huxley’s Neue Welt“ was quite full but not overly crowded. It made for decent sound and light, not a given in some Berlin venues. Even without their acclaimed pyro show Ghost killed it.

Ghost are a curious thing. They hail Satan just as much as your everyday black metal band. But Ghost do it in style. Papa Emeritus III, the singer, and the five „Nameless Ghouls“, the musicians, have made devil worshipping more accessible than ever before. Their catchy tunes, attractive lyrics, immaculate showmanship, and a colorful stage show make them the Catholic church of Satanism. It doesn’t matter how much you actually believe in it, as long as you go along with the rituals and pay your respect to the clergy. It is no coincidence that they borrow heavily from Catholicism and nothing from all-work-no-play Protestantism.

Are you on the square?Are you on the level?Are you ready to swear right here right nowBefore the devil?

The Nameless Ghouls

When the band opened with Square Hammer, there was no doubt: The nameless ghouls in their uniform outfits and devilish masks are true performers. Not only do they know how to play their instruments, each of the faceless musicians moves like a world class rock star. Shredding along with each other ZZ-Top style, switching positions and playing artistic tricks with their instruments. They know all the tricks, they do them flawlessly and it’s just a joy to watch.

Papa Emeritus III

The anonymous head of the anonymous band is Papa Emeritus III. His grand gestures range from Drag Queen to Mussolini and all of them are perfectly appropriate (especially when they are inappropriate). He cockily struts around the stage, points fingers, musters the audience and — in his very unique androgynous fashion — orders the crowd to applaud the Nameless Ghouls after their solos. The faithful do as ordered.

Come together, together as one.Come together, for Lucifer’s son.

Before Ghost closed with their hymn to the female orgasm Come Together, as they always do, Papa Emeritus spoke at length of the importance of the topic. He made all the men solemnly swear to make a female orgasm happen later that night and asked the ladies to patient with the first hapless attempts.

Musical Performance

Granted, the proclaimed occultist band around Papa Emeritus III uses its fair amount of playback. But it works. And that’s what counts if you truly want to enjoy yourself at a concert.

As the great Metal and Hard Rock Bands age, Ghost have been hailed as one of the big hopes to headline future festivals and if you were this seems more than reasonable.

If Ghost ever play near you, you’re up for great show, a bit of tongue in cheek satanism and you appreciate the female orgasm: go for it.